Abstract: A system that accepts and displays user input from a touch sensitive input device, such as phone touchscreen, while a user is wearing a head mounted display. Since the user cannot directly observe the input device, the system generates a virtual touchscreen graphic showing the location of the user's touch, and displays this graphic on the head mounted display. This graphic may include a virtual keyboard. Embodiments may recognize specific gestures to initiate input, which cause the virtual touchscreen graphic to be displayed on the display, for example as an overlay onto the normal display. The virtual touchscreen graphic may be removed automatically when the system recognizes that an input sequence is complete. The input device may also have position and orientation sensors that can be used for user input, for example to control a tool or weapon in a virtual environment or a game.

Abstract: A display system for a head mounted device that illuminates the peripheral regions of the user's field of view to enhance an immersive experience. The system may use peripheral light emitters to the left and right of one or more central displays. Peripheral light emitters may provide lower resolution images, or only with vertical resolution, corresponding to the user's lower resolution vision in these peripheral regions. Reflective surfaces and lenses may be used to direct peripheral light into desired shapes and patterns. Rendering of peripheral light colors and intensities at each peripheral pixel may use approximations for improved performance since users may not be sensitive to precise color values in the peripheral regions.

Abstract: A virtual reality display system that renders images at different resolutions in different parts of a display. Reduces rendering latency by rendering at a lower resolution in selected regions, for example on the sides of a display where human vision has lower resolution than in the center. Pixels in low resolution regions are combined into grid elements, and rendering may generate grid element values rather than individual pixel values. Rendering may use ray casting, rasterization, or both. Variable resolution rendering may be combined with variable level of detail geometry models to further reduce rendering time. Selected objects may be designed as high resolution objects that are rendered at a high resolution even in low resolution display regions.

Abstract: A virtual reality system that uses gestures to obtain commands from a user. Embodiments may use sensors mounted on a virtual reality headset to detect head movements, and may recognize selected head motions as gestures associated with commands. Commands associated with gestures may modify the user's virtual reality experience, for example by selecting or modifying a virtual world or by altering the user's viewpoint within the virtual world. Embodiments may define specific gestures to place the system into command mode or user input mode, for example to temporarily disable normal head tracking within the virtual environment. Embodiments may also recognize gestures of other body parts, such as wrist movements measured by a smart watch.

Abstract: A system that efficiently estimates an object's orientation using magnetic, angular rate, and gravity sensors. The object may be for example a virtual reality headset or a user in a virtual reality environment. Magnetic and gravity data are used to correct errors that accumulate from integrating angular velocity. Unlike systems that use Kalman filter approaches, embodiments of the system apply a simple, highly efficient technique to generate magnetic and gravity error vectors; these error vectors are added directly to the angular velocity prior to integration. Error calculations are performed in the sensor reference frame rather than in the Earth reference frame. Magnetic error correction uses only the horizontal component of the magnetic field, which is efficiently calculated by subtracting off the projection of the magnetic field onto the measured gravity vector. Sensors and processors for calculating orientation may be integrated into a low-latency virtual reality display system.

Abstract: A display system for a head mounted device that illuminates the peripheral regions of the user's field of view to enhance an immersive experience. The system may use peripheral light emitters to the left and right of one or more central displays. Peripheral light emitters may provide lower resolution images, or only with vertical resolution, corresponding to the user's lower resolution vision in these peripheral regions. Reflective surfaces and lenses may be used to direct peripheral light into desired shapes and patterns. Rendering of peripheral light colors and intensities at each peripheral pixel may use approximations for improved performance since users may not be sensitive to precise color values in the peripheral regions.

Abstract: A modular virtual reality headset that may be operated in multiple modes. Embodiments enable a mount with modular receivers having electronic and mechanical interfaces that accept swappable modules. Swappable modules may include swappable display modules, swappable audio modules, and swappable sensor modules. Embodiments enable multiple modes of operation, including for example a virtual mode to display virtual reality environments, a real mode to display images of the real environment surrounding the user, and an augmented reality mode that overlays real scenes with other information. Embodiments may also provide multiple modes of operation for audio.

Abstract: A virtual reality display system that generates display images in two phases: the first phase renders images based on a predicted pose at the time the display will be updated; the second phase re-predicts the pose using recent sensor data, and corrects the images based on changes since the initial prediction. The second phase may be delayed so that it occurs just in time for a display update cycle, to ensure that sensor data is as accurate as possible for the revised pose prediction. Pose prediction may extrapolate sensor data by integrating differential equations of motion. It may incorporate biomechanical models of the user, which may be learned by prompting the user to perform specific movements. Pose prediction may take into account a user's tendency to look towards regions of interest. Multiple parallel pose predictions may be made to reflect uncertainty in the user's movement.

Abstract: A virtual reality display system that renders images at different resolutions in different parts of a display. Reduces rendering latency by rendering at a lower resolution in selected regions, for example on the sides of a display where human vision has lower resolution than in the center. Pixels in low resolution regions are combined into grid elements, and rendering may generate grid element values rather than individual pixel values. Rendering may use ray casting, rasterization, or both. Variable resolution rendering may be combined with variable level of detail geometry models to further reduce rendering time. Selected objects may be designed as high resolution objects that are rendered at a high resolution even in low resolution display regions.

Abstract: A system that efficiently estimates an object's orientation using magnetic, angular rate, and gravity sensors. The object may be for example a virtual reality headset or a user in a virtual reality environment. Magnetic and gravity data are used to correct errors that accumulate from integrating angular velocity. Unlike systems that use Kalman filter approaches, embodiments of the system apply a simple, highly efficient technique to generate magnetic and gravity error vectors; these error vectors are added directly to the angular velocity prior to integration. Error calculations are performed in the sensor reference frame rather than in the Earth reference frame. Magnetic error correction uses only the horizontal component of the magnetic field, which is efficiently calculated by subtracting off the projection of the magnetic field onto the measured gravity vector. Sensors and processors for calculating orientation may be integrated into a low-latency virtual reality display system.

Abstract: A virtual reality system that uses gestures to obtain commands from a user. Embodiments may use sensors mounted on a virtual reality headset to detect head movements, and may recognize selected head motions as gestures associated with commands. Commands associated with gestures may modify the user's virtual reality experience, for example by selecting or modifying a virtual world or by altering the user's viewpoint within the virtual world. Embodiments may define specific gestures to place the system into command mode or user input mode, for example to temporarily disable normal head tracking within the virtual environment. Embodiments may also recognize gestures of other body parts, such as wrist movements measured by a smart watch.

Abstract: A virtual reality virtual theater system that generates or otherwise displays a virtual theater, for example in which to view videos, such as movies or television. Videos may be for example 2D or 3D movies or television programs. Embodiments create a virtual theater environment with elements that provide a theater-like viewing experience to the user. Virtual theaters may be for example indoor movie theaters, drive-in movie theaters, or home movie theaters. Virtual theater elements may include for example theater fixtures, décor, and audience members; these elements may be selectable or customizable by the user. One or more embodiments also render sound by placing virtual speakers in a virtual theater and projecting sounds from these virtual speakers onto virtual microphones corresponding to the position and orientation of the user's ears. Embodiments may also employ minimal latency processing to improve the theater experience.